PBIS

PBIS Letter to Families

Dear Families,

I would like to share with you our school system to support student behavior called Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS). PBIS is a school-wide system that supports students’ positive behavior by teaching and reinforcing expected behaviors in the classroom and throughout the school and supporting students who need additional help in this area. Staff members teach all these expected behaviors using different lessons and reward students who are following these norms. Students who do not follow the norms are directed in respectful manner using our behavior flow chart.

Traditionally, school-wide discipline has focused mainly on reacting to specific student misbehavior by implementing punishment-based strategies including reprimands, loss of privileges, office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions. Research has shown that the implementation of punishment, especially when it is used inconsistently and in the absence of other positive strategies, is ineffective and results in a huge loss in instructional time for the student. Introducing, modeling, and reinforcing positive behavior is an important step in a student’s educational experience. Teaching behavioral expectations and rewarding students for following them is a much more positive approach than waiting for misbehavior to occur before responding. The purpose of school-wide PBIS is to establish a climate in which appropriate behavior is the norm.

School-wide Behavior Expectations:

Be SafeBe CaringBe Responsible

Reinforcing Positive Behavior:

Our school uses the Buzz Bucks to reward students who are following our school norms and behavior expectations. Staff members give these ticket to students who they see are following the norms. The students can take the tickets to the office for the opportunity to win a Bee pencil at the end of each week. Classroom teachers also use Buzz Bucks in their rooms to reward students. At the end of the month, the principal also does a raffle for the opportunity to win a pizza party with the principal.

Behavior Support:

When students are exhibiting problem misbehaviors, our school has a system for how we respond to these and support the students. Minor misbehaviors are supported in the classroom by the teachers and major misbehaviors are referred to the school administration for support through the Office Referral Form.

Attached please find a brochure that you should review with your child and return to school once singed. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.